1. Take vitamin D 2. Drink coffee 3. Sleep more 4. Do things by hand 5. Wear a basic pedometer 6. Eat lightly and often 7. Move briskly 8. Laugh 9. Eat breakfast 10. Time yourself 11. Fill up on fiber 12. Go out of your way 13. Fidget 14. Stash flats in your bag 15. Don’t eat late at night 16. Straighten up 17. Drink more 18. Beware of sugar 19. Squat 20. Chew gum 21. Sleep better 22. Walk and talk 23. Switch sides 24. Pick up the pace 25. Cook your own food 26. Go on a date. 27. Avoid eating lunch at your desk 28. Always carry a snack 29. Wear stilettos 30. Relax 31. Watch less television 32. Lift up 33. Build up your abs 34. Drink a few cups of strong green tea every day 35. Heat things up 36. Work your legs a bit 37. Eat salmon 38. Pop a pill 39. Keep your blow-dryer at the health club 40. Eat the peel 41. Get busy 42. Go coconuts 43. Drink oolong tea 44. Don’t snack in the car 45. Swing your arms 46. Snack when you drink 47. Clean up 48. Buy some crackers 49. Sit up 50. Don’t forget dairy
Women who were deficient in it lost weight more slowly in a study in the British Journal of Nutrition. Stephen Gullo, a weight-loss expert in New York City and author of “The Thin Commandments” (Rodale), recommends 2,000 milligrams daily.
Studies have found that caffeine increases the rate at which you burn calories, according to Susan B. Roberts, author of “The ‘I’ Diet” (Workman) and a professor of nutrition and psychiatry at Tufts University in Boston.
Getting fewer than four hours of sleep over an extended period of time slows the metabolism. Experts recommend aiming for between seven and nine.
Wash your dishes, vacuum, or cook dinner. “We consider it a luxury to have tasks done for us, but doing some of these for yourself takes considerable energy,” says Slayton.
“Every week, aim to take a few more steps than you did the last week,” says Wheelock.
“For most people, the body uses up more energy digesting smaller meals every few hours than by eating the same number of calories in two or three sittings,” says Chrissy Wellington, a nutritionist at Canyon Ranch in Lenox, Massachusetts.
“Walk like you’re late for a meeting,” says Gunnar Peterson, who trains Jennifer Lopez in Los Angeles.
“It burns up to 50 calories if you laugh for 10 to 15 minutes per day,” says Adelino Da Costa, owner of Punch Fitness Center in New York City.
“You send your body a signal that you’re not starving, so it starts burning fat — even when you’re just doing normal activities,” says Peterson. He suggests eating scrambled egg whites or oatmeal with fruit.
Spend the last five minutes of each hour (set your computer timer) up and moving around, says Kristin McGee, a New York City yoga and Pilates instructor.
Low-carb, high-fiber foods take more time to digest than other foods, leaving you feeling fuller longer and less likely to snack, says Gullo. He suggests spinach, broccoli, asparagus, and cauliflower.
At work, take the long way to the restroom — or even go up one flight of stairs.
You can burn up to 350 more calories a day than someone who remains stationary, according to a study at the Mayo Clinic. The impulse to fidget may be hardwired, but nonfidgeters can imitate it: Tap your feet, pace, or move restlessly in your seat.
“My clients aren’t going to slip on sneakers to go home, but there is a happy medium,” says Slayton. “You might not run a marathon in ballet slippers, but at least you can move quickly.”
It can interrupt sleep, according to Wellington, and may induce you to skip breakfast — bad for your metabolism.
“Good posture not only makes you look taller and leaner, but it strengthens your abdominal muscles,” says Brooklyn Decker, the model on the cover of this year’s Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue.
Dehydrated people experience a drop in their metabolic rate. Drinking water throughout the day caused metabolic rates to increase by about 30 percent in a German study. The goal: eight cups a day.
It triggers the body to release insulin, which then either transplants sugar to the cells to be used as energy — or stored as fat, according to Jorge Cruise, author of “The Belly Fat Cure” (Hay House).
When you pick up something from the floor, keep your back straight and bend at the knees, not the waist. “This protects your back and tones your legs,” says Peterson.
It burns a few calories — and it keeps you from mindlessly grazing, especially when you’re cooking, says McGee.
A poor night’s sleep causes people to chose less-nutritious foods, according to a study at the University of Pennsylvania. Another study showed that sleep-deprived people simply move less.
Don’t sit still when you take a phone call. At work, wear a headset.
Whether you’re carrying a heavy bag on your shoulder or a child on your hip, “swapping sides every five minutes works more muscles,” says Peterson.
Listen to fast songs, such as “Closer” by Ne-Yo, says Ruth Zukerman, co-owner of Flywheel Sports, a cycling studio in New York City. “The beat forces you to keep a calorie-burning pace, especially when walking or taking stairs.”
“It’s often healthier, and by the time you’ve made a meal and cleaned up, you’ve been on your feet a half-hour more than you would have waiting for takeout,” says Slayton.
Women tend to order foods with fewer calories when dining with a man (who’s not a long-term significant other), compared with when they eat with other women, according to a study conducted at McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada.
If you must, have a quick bite, then go for a short walk.
Try nuts, low-calorie bars, or a piece of fruit. Eating frequently keeps your metabolism up (and reduces the odds that you’ll wind up a victim of the vending machine).
“Every few days, I’ll wear the highest heels I own,” says Decker. “It helps tone my legs, because they work different muscles in my calves and thighs.”
Stress causes the body to release cortisol, which causes more calories to be stored as fat, especially in your abdomen.
Adults who halved their television viewing time (by using an electronic lock-out system) not only burned an extra 119 calories per day, but did so without altering what they ate.
Rise up on the balls of your feet and then lower yourself down again. “I do this little Pilates move everywhere,” says McGee.
Do intense bursts of engaging your abs tightly. If you think you can only do 30 seconds, push for 40, says Da Costa.
In addition to caffeine, green tea contains catechin polyphenols, plant chemicals that may also boost metabolism, according to a study from the University of Geneva in Switzerland.
“Some studies show that spicy food can temporarily increase metabolism,” says Slayton. Try red pepper flakes on salad.
“If I’m stuck in a seat, I do small knee lifts, almost like I’m marching in place,” says McGee.
Salmon eaters lost significantly more weight than beef eaters in a study, even though the calories consumed were equal.
People taking supplements with glutamine after meals burned an average of 20 more calories than those taking a placebo in a study at Iowa State University in Ames.
“I have a client who swears that this motivates her to work out,” says Slayton.
“It takes the body more energy to break down fiber-rich foods, like the skins of fruits and vegetables,” says Wellington.
Most couples burn an average of 300 calories an hour while they’re having sex.
People who replace oils and fats like animal fats and sunflower oil with those containing medium-chain fatty acids, such as coconut oil, lose more body fat.
Gullo suggests this to his clients because some studies have shown it can increase metabolic activity by as much as 10 percent.
Experts say it’s a hotbed of mindless eating and excess calorie consumption.
“The more parts of your body that you use simultaneously, the more you burn,” says Zukerman.
Alcohol paves the way for overeating. Snack before you go out for drinks, says Slayton — or at least eat a few olives when you’re at the bar.
When you’re wiping down the counter or washing the car, really stretch out, says Peterson. “Use both hands and make large circular motions, like you’re the Karate Kid.”
“High-fiber, low-starch foods, such as GG Crispbreads, create a film on the intestinal lining that blocks the absorption of other calories,” says Gullo.
When watching TV, “get in the habit of holding your body straight,” says Slayton.
Wellington says, “Researchers believe that low-fat dairy inhibits fats from being stored.”
